Ear muffs



Jan. 8, 1957v E. BERG 2,776,436

EAR MUFFS Original Filed Sept. 14, 1951 J 36 45 E @nF-a /9 United StatesPatent() EAR MUFFS Elaine Berg, Chicago, Ill.

1 Claim. (CL2-.209)

The present invention relates to improvements in ear mnffs, and inparticular to that type of ear muff in which the two muis are pivotallysupported at the ends of a pair of telescoping steel spring bands. v

The present application is a `division of my prior ap- Iplication on earmuffs, tiled September 14, 1951, Ser. No.

246,627, U. S. Patent Number 2,651,046, issued September 8, 1953.

lOne of the disadvantages of such an ear mui assembly is that the steelband which supports the muffs is very cold and consequentlyuncomfortable for contact with the head or skin in cold weather, whenthe muifs are most likely to be worn. The steel hands are particularlyuncomfortable on bald heads, not only because of their being so cold,but because they are sharp and stiff and narrow; and they are alsouncomfortable when the band is worn behind the neck, as many people wearit.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improved earmuff structure in which the head or neck are protected from the steelband which is used to support the ear muffs of a certain construction.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved ear muftconstruction which is collapsible into a minimum amount ofspace.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved ear muticonstruction of the class described, which assists in holding the hairin place, and which may be made in a two tone construction so that it isreversible, to give a different effect when garments of different colorare worn. i

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improvedprotected ear mut construction which is simple, capable of economicalmanufacture, durable, attractive, and adapted to be used for a longperiod of time without necessity for repair or replacement of any of itsparts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying drawings, in which similarcharacters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the single sheet of drawings accompanying thisspecification,

, Fig. l is a view in perspective, showing a pair of ear muffs embodyingthe present invention, being worn by a user;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the ear muif assembly of Fig. l,with the head band protector shown in dotted lines in its collapsed orfoldedposition;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view, showing how the ear mui assemblylooks when it is completely collapsed;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken onthe plane of the line 4--4 of Fig. 2,-look ing in the direction of thearrows;

' Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a modification;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view showing the protector of Fig.assembled with the steel bands;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the Patented Jan. 8,1957 ICC plane of the line 8-8 of Fig. 7, looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

The ear muifs to which the present invention relates are of the type inwhich each ear muff 10 and 11 is covered by inner and outer layers offabric 12 and 13 stitched together at the point 14 about an ovalreinforcing ring 15.

The reinforcing ring pivotally supports a metal tab 16 on a pintle 1'7,this tab being pivoted to one of the steel `bands at 18. The two steelbands 19 and`20 are identically secured to the ear muffs, are curved ata smaller curvature than the head, and are secured to each other bysteel sliders 21 so that they telescope upon each other or may becollapsed to a minimum length, that is, the length of one steel strap.

Such` ear mutt assemblies are well known in the prior art and are wornwith the steel band over the head or -behind the neck, and are veryuncomfortable because of the contact with the metal, which is cold,hard, stiff, and has sharp edges.

The spring band protector 22 embodied in the invention is shown in oneform in Fig. 1; and it consists of a rectangular fabric member providedwith regularly spaced pairs of slots 23, through which the steel bands19 and 20 extend.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1-4 the protector is preferably made of twolayers of felt fabric of different color secured together completelyaround their edges by a single line of stitching 24 and the foldedbinding tape 24a.

The slots 23 preferably pass through only one of the pieces of fabric25; and the band is completely covered on the other side by the piece offabric 26. The length of the protector 22 is suiiicient to extend fromear mutt to ear mutf when the steel bands 19 and 20 are fully extended;but the protector has its lowermost slots 23 located so that theprotector has its end portions 27 overlapping the steel band pivots 18,as well as the metal tab 16 and its pintle 17.

This extension 27, which projects beyond the endmost slots 23, permitssome adjustment in length of the steel band without having any folds inthe protector. The protector may, however, be folded up like anaccordion, as shown in Fig. 3; and in some cases may be worn in themanner shown in Fig. 3, if the user is in too much of a hurry to extendit.

Referring to Fig. 5, this is a modification in which a strip of felt,indicated at 42, is threaded through the slots 36, 37 of another widerstrip of soft fabric 38. The two ends of these strips are securedtogether by a wire clip 39 at each end of the assembly.

In this case the steel bands may be threaded through the same slotsabove the band 42, keeping the steel entirely out of contact with thehead. The two strips 38 and 42 may be of dilferent colored fabric; andthe assembly involves no sewing of any kind.

The straps of fabric between the slits 36, 37 are indicated at 43; andthese straps are recessed on their inner faces by the steel bands andbowed outwardly to receive the steel bands. The steel bands are thuslocated substantially in the plane of the outer surface of the strip 3S.

It will thus be observed that I have invented a plurality of simpleforms of protectors for the steel springs of a commonly used form of earmulfs. These protectors can be folded up, as shown in Fig. 3; and theycan also be worn folded above one ear in the event the wearer chooses todo so. The cold steel springs are kept out of contact with the head orwith the neck; and one of the major disadvantages of this type of earmuff has thus been eliminated.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, manymodifications may be made without `departing from the spirit of theinvention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details ofconstruction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes withinthe scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is: l

An ear muft assembly comprising a pair of covered, sliding, spring steelbands, adapted to be collapsed or extended and adapted to support a pairof ear rnns on the wearer when the bands are placed about the head ofthe wearer, a first felt strip having inner and outer surfaces andhaving a greater width than said steel bands and having a sufcientlength to cover the inside of the steel bands when fully extended, saidfelt strip having a plurality of pairs of slits extending transverselyto the strip but terminating short of the lateral edges of the strip,the said pairs of slits being at regularly spaced in tervals, the slitsof each pair being spaced from cach other by a strap of felt betweeneach pair, said strap being integral with said strip, a second strip offelt having inner and outer surfaces and being of substantially the samelength and narrow enough to be located inside said slits, the secondstrip being threaded through the slits of the first strip so that thesecond strip is located on one side of the rst strip except the integralstraps which extend over the second strip, said strips being securedtogether at both ends thereof, the steel bands being threaded throughthe same slits as said second strip and positioned on the outer surfaceof both strips with the integral straps on the outside of the steelbands so as to protect the head of the wearer from the steel bandsthroughout the length of the steel bands, the felt strips beingcollapsible as a -unit into bellows-like folds on said steel bands ateither end of the steel bands.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS139,831 Stone Jan. 10, 1873 486,725 Mellor Nov. 22, 1892 1,631,694 Ricklune 7, 1927 2,651,046 Berg Sept. 8, 1953

